Transforming Learning Though ICT has allowed us to gain a better understanding of how crucial it is to incorporate ICT in the classroom as a learning tool for students rather than a means of planning lessons around. Through the use of previously acquired personal skills and those developed in this course, we have been able to fabricate a way of higher-order thinking in order for us to include ICT resources in everyday lessons, to both strengthen the lesson and student learning. This ICT integration project has allowed us to come away with a useful resource to use in future teaching and provided us with the knowledge that ICT in theclassroom should not be seen as a cause for concern but a chance to capture, enhance and extend students’ learning. Together we thought that the topic of the Water Cycle was very relevant to explore because of the ever changing world we live in. The activities incorporated into our Wiki we believe would develop andencourage authentic and self-directed learning experiences, a deeper understanding of what the water cycle is and why it is so crucial to be water wise,and knowledge and understandings important for the sustainability of our planet.
We chose to include these types of ICT to our lessons due to their relevance to what we are trying to achieve through the topic of Water. We believe that using wordle as a progressive assessment strategy that students add to after each lesson or after that have learnt new words or phrases to do with the water cycle, gives us as teachers an ongoing assessment which displays the students individual knowledge growing and developing on the selected topic. It allows students to work at their own pace but also to keep all their work in one place. Youtube can be a resourceful visual tool. We chose to use two different youtube clips to show students an introduction into a new concept, the water cycle being the first and the second displayed ways in which people can save water at home. Therefore, the clips were relevant to our lesson topics and outcomes. We used other ICT resources such as, stinto and wallwisher which are similar to wordle previously discussed. They are easy to use and a quick tool for students to upload their thoughts, questions, answers and any other requirements within the classroom setting. Finally, we decided to add in online games as an incentive for those students who completed their work early but had completed it to a high enough standard. These games such as Water Family, kept in our lesson themes such as, reducing our water usage at home. This particular online game, gets students to go around different rooms within a house and they have to change things within each room to save the amount of water that is being used. This educational game worked nicely with our saving water lesson as students were encouraged to use the knowledge they have learnt on this topic whilst having fun.
Social Constructivist Classroom
We believe that our ICT integration project encourages a social constructivist classroom because it is active, constructive, authentic, cooperative and intentional. Students are active in their learning of the topic of the water cycle and water saving as they are given multiple opportunities through out the lessons planned to demonstrate their understanding through the constant use of wordle. Students integrate their prior knowledge of ways to save water to extend their learning and knowledge. The lessons provided are authentic because the topic being portrayed throughout the lessons can be related to real life situations. Therefore, when students find a connection between real life situations and what they are learning in school, they find it more beneficial and relatable to their life. Cooperation takes place within these lessons as students are given multiple opportunities to share, listen and discuss ideas between pairs, small groups and the whole class. In doing so, students are given the opportunity to share their opinions and understanding on the present topic as well as getting the chance to listen to others outlook on the same subject. Intentional constructivist is implemented into these lessons based on the outcomes that are to be achieved by the students during on going work assessments and projects that they create based on knowledge they learn, discover and interpret individually.
The above Project Plan/Inspiration Map can be found on SpiderScribe under the following link:
http://www.spiderscribe.net/app/?5cc57386ad2f511a59ad46480f181a06
ICT used in our four lessons
Lesson 1:
Lesson 2:
Lesson 3:
Lesson 4:
We chose to include these types of ICT to our lessons due to their relevance to what we are trying to achieve through the topic of Water. We believe that using wordle as a progressive assessment strategy that students add to after each lesson or after that have learnt new words or phrases to do with the water cycle, gives us as teachers an ongoing assessment which displays the students individual knowledge growing and developing on the selected topic. It allows students to work at their own pace but also to keep all their work in one place. Youtube can be a resourceful visual tool. We chose to use two different youtube clips to show students an introduction into a new concept, the water cycle being the first and the second displayed ways in which people can save water at home. Therefore, the clips were relevant to our lesson topics and outcomes. We used other ICT resources such as, stinto and wallwisher which are similar to wordle previously discussed. They are easy to use and a quick tool for students to upload their thoughts, questions, answers and any other requirements within the classroom setting. Finally, we decided to add in online games as an incentive for those students who completed their work early but had completed it to a high enough standard. These games such as Water Family, kept in our lesson themes such as, reducing our water usage at home. This particular online game, gets students to go around different rooms within a house and they have to change things within each room to save the amount of water that is being used. This educational game worked nicely with our saving water lesson as students were encouraged to use the knowledge they have learnt on this topic whilst having fun.
Social Constructivist Classroom
We believe that our ICT integration project encourages a social constructivist classroom because it is active, constructive, authentic, cooperative and intentional. Students are active in their learning of the topic of the water cycle and water saving as they are given multiple opportunities through out the lessons planned to demonstrate their understanding through the constant use of wordle. Students integrate their prior knowledge of ways to save water to extend their learning and knowledge. The lessons provided are authentic because the topic being portrayed throughout the lessons can be related to real life situations. Therefore, when students find a connection between real life situations and what they are learning in school, they find it more beneficial and relatable to their life. Cooperation takes place within these lessons as students are given multiple opportunities to share, listen and discuss ideas between pairs, small groups and the whole class. In doing so, students are given the opportunity to share their opinions and understanding on the present topic as well as getting the chance to listen to others outlook on the same subject. Intentional constructivist is implemented into these lessons based on the outcomes that are to be achieved by the students during on going work assessments and projects that they create based on knowledge they learn, discover and interpret individually.